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Refreshing your E-mail Marketing Campaigns:
Getting Back to Basics
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Sponsored by:
Welcome
Bob Felsenthal
Publisher
BtoB magazine, BtoBonline.com
Our Sponsor
www.campaigner.com
Ellis Booker
Editor, BtoB and
BtoBonline.com
Housekeeping
Submit Questions
Housekeeping
Download Slides
Refreshing your E-mail Marketing Campaigns
CHALLENGE: Inevitably, most e-mail programs become
less effective over time. E-mail marketers constantly
struggle with diminishing response rates, declining sales
and lack of engagement.
Live Polling Question
How often do you review the performance of your e-mail marketing campaigns?
a. Daily
b. Weekly
c. Monthly
d. Annually
e. I do not actively track my e-mail marketing campaigns.
Wendy Lowe
Director, Campaigner Product Marketing
Protus
Agenda
Evaluating your
email marketing campaigns
Tracking Metrics
Getting Back to Basics
Setting Objectives
The Email Marketing Plan
From and Subject Line
Design
Copy
Personalization
Segmentation
Testing
a/b split tests
What to test
Track campaign metrics
Focus on the basic best practices
Test! Test! Test!
Refreshing your email marketing campaigns
Email Evaluation
Have results hit a plateau?
Have response rates waned?
Have sales declined?
Have unsubscribe rates increased?
Is there a lack of engagement?
Take Stock
Look Familiar?
Email Campaign Report
Date Number Sent
Number Delivered
Number Bounced
Number Opened
Total Click Thrus
Unique Click Thrus
Unsubscribes Unsubscribe Rate(%)
Bounce Rate (%)
Open Rate (%)
Click Thru Rate (%)
4-May 273 268 5 105 35 31 3 1.12% 1.83% 39.18% 11.57%
11-May 105 104 1 34 3 3 3 2.88% 0.95% 32.69% 2.88%
18-May 60 60 0 16 4 4 1 1.67% 0.00% 26.67% 6.67%
25-May 167 167 0 46 6 6 1 0.60% 3.33% 20.69% 3.42%
31-May 212 209 3 41 5 5 2 0.96% 1.42% 19.62% 2.39%
15-Jun 194 189 5 23 6 5 0 0.00% 2.58% 12.17% 2.65%
22-Jun 199 198 1 36 5 4 2 1.01% 0.50% 18.18% 2.02%
Nearly 20% of email marketers do not know
how their email marketing campaigns perform.
Source: eROI survey of over 500 email marketers
Tracking
Campaign
Metrics
Importance of Tracking
See where you can improve
What’s working? What’s not?
Learn about your audiences’ preferences
Personalization
Maintain a healthy contact list
CAN-SPAM compliance
Why aren’t we paying more attention?Lack of time
Compiling and analyzing data
Implementing changes
Analysis Paralysis!
Lack of resources No dedicated team to manage email marketing
Automated campaigns can be “out of sight, out of mind”
Don’t know the benefits
Don’t have the tools
What should I measure?
Reputation, Message Envelope, Timeliness,
Infrastructure
• Open rate
• Hard bounces
• Soft bounces
• Date and time sent
Creative Content
• Click-through rate
Targeting and Positioning
• Unsubscribe rate
• Links clicked
• Positive vs. Negative clicks
• Subject Line
• From Line
• Response by list segment
Campaign Effectiveness
• Conversion Rate
• Track Campaign Source
• Sales
• Revenue
Source: eROI
Metrics Report
Source: MarketingSherpa
Agenda
Evaluating your
email marketing campaigns
Tracking Metrics
Getting Back to Basics
Setting Objectives
The Email Marketing Plan
From and Subject Line
Design
Copy
Personalization
Segmentation
Testing
a/b split tests
What to test
Get Back to Basics
Setting
Objectives
What are you trying to accomplish?
• From Name• Best day to send
• Creative/Layout• Subject line• Copy
• Subject line• Best time to send
• From Name• Calls to Action
• Landing pages• Calls to action• Creative/Layout
• Subject line• Copy• From Name
Increase sales?
Promote your business?
Launch a new product?
Convert website leads?
Improve customer loyalty?
Attract new customers?
All of the above?
What type of communication?
• Creative/Layout• Subject line• Copy
• Subject line• Best time to send
• From Name• Calls to Action
• Landing pages• Calls to action• Creative/Layout
• Subject line• Copy• From Name
Newsletter
Promotion
Press Release
Welcome Email
Letterhead
Invitation
• From Name• Best day to send
• Creative/Layout• Subject line• Copy
• Subject line• Best time to send
• From Name• Calls to Action
• Landing pages• Calls to action• Creative/Layout
Planning
Key elements of an email campaign
From line
Subject line
Content and Design
Contact List
From line
Subject line
Content and Design
1. Read Now2. Read Later
From Line – 3 Principles
1. Include your brand name or name of recognized person in the company
2. Keep a consistent “from” name
3. Consider entire “email envelope” when crafting from name
Source: Marketing Sherpa
Source: Marketing Sherpa
From Line- Familiar
- Trusted
From Line – Test Ideas
Melanie @ Campaigner
IBMProtus
Customer Service
Elaine Stewart, Office Supply
Depot
DPTR Workshop Reminder
BlackBerry®
Subject Lines
40,400,000
There is no guaranteed
formula!
Subject Line Tips
Write your subject line first
You have ~50 characters to work with
For mobile devices and PDAs: ~19
Be consistent with your brand’s tone
Consider from name and subject line together
Describe what’s in the email
No misleading or deceptive subject lines
Address recipients’ pain points - WIIFM
Subject Line Tips
List key info first: most important words are the first two
Convey a sense of urgency. Use deadlines.
Use action words
Avoid spam filter trap words
Test! Test! Test!
Scrutinize the results Repeat what works
Measure the effect on all results
Subject Line Test Ideas
Ask prospect to take action
“Get your free download”
Make an offer
“Save $100 on tax services from Boyd’s
Financial”
Use a “hot” word in your subject line
“Renew your Business magazine subscription
for 30% off
Test Long vs. Short vs. Super short subject
lines
(short = 35-45
characters or less)
Include news or time-sensitive information
“Recent Update: Changes in technology
funding”
Personalization
“Jason, read Campaigner’s June
Newsletter”
Source: Marketing Sherpa
Design
The Preview Pane – Horizontal view
Source: Marketing Sherpa
The Preview Pane – Vertical View
Source: Marketing Sherpa
The “Golden Triangle”
Source: Marketing Sherpa
Design Tips for Preview Panels
Most important message needs to be near the top (within first inch or two)
Avoid large image headers, logos, images
Instead, display table of contents or your offer with small logo underneath
Call-to-action
Test location – above the fold
Test different design treatments
Source: Marketing Sherpa
Design Tips for Preview Panels
Don’t think of your email as paper letterhead
Don’t match your email design to your website design
Use easy-to-scan, bulleted copy
Remove far-right columns (people don’t see them)
Source: Marketing Sherpa
Blocked Images - Before
Blocked Images - After
Images on/off by default
Source: MarketingSherpa, Consumer Media Survey, September 2008 N=1,438
ALT-Text Tags
Email Copy
What are you trying to accomplish?
• From Name• Best day to send
• Creative/Layout• Subject line• Copy
• Subject line• Best time to send
• From Name• Calls to Action
• Landing pages• Calls to action• Creative/Layout
• Subject line• Copy• From Name
Put yourself in your customer’s shoes
Aim is to trigger an action
Coupons, special offers or promotions?
Valuable information and practical tips?
Best newsletters include a mix of sales with expert opinions and advice.
Source: MarketingSherpa
Make sure it reflects your brand
Introduce yourself and set expectations
Say thank you
Voice/Tone
Calls to Action
Source: MarketingSherpa
Clear
Above the fold
One per email
Examples Visit the store or office
Call a sales rep
Read more
Buy online
Get a quick quote
Watch this online seminar
Event invitation
Download this free widget
Offer Ideas
Limited time discount
Downloads
Free shipping
Buy one, get one (free, % off)
Free gift
Free services
Invitation
“First to See”
New product launch
Length
Source: MarketingSherpa
No best practice
More frequent, less copy
“Provide enough copy to make it relevant to the recipient and to get the action you want.”
Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets.
Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets.
Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets.
Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets.
Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets.
Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets. Email copy with no white space or bullets.
Source: MarketingSherpa
Use simple language
Use bullet points – make it easy to scan
White space!
Personalize
Think like a customer
WIIFM – speak to customer’s needs and interests
Reviews and Testimonials
Encourage Feedback Ask about what they want to hear
Images
Use personalization
Source: MarketingSherpa
Inserting a person's name into an email increases open rates by as much as 10%.
Source: Jupiter Research (2006)
Dear Michael,
Segmentation
Relevancy – 3 steps1. Capture as much information as you can
2. Test to achieve the best creative and offer Watch out for burn out, intrigue and entertain, shake things up
3. Get the right frequency No right answer. Ask your customers
Source: Marketing Sherpa
Geography
You prefer to buy in March because it coincides with your government buying cycle. Buy 1 license, get 1 free.
Preferences Buy:
Get:
Free
Past purchases
You bought these supplies in store in September…
…is it time for a paper, toner or ink refill?
Action
You attended our last webinar on email marketing…
…come to our next webinar on social media.
You’ve been a loyal customer of our training services for 5 years, here is a 25% discount on our latest course…
Loyalty
Agenda
Evaluating your
email marketing campaigns
Tracking Metrics
Getting Back to Basics
Setting Objectives
The Email Marketing Plan
From and Subject Line
Design
Copy
Personalization
Segmentation
Testing
a/b split tests
What to test
Live Polling Question
Do you regularly test such things as subject line, best time and day to send, or offer in your email campaigns?
-YES
-NO
The #1 way to
jump-start your email campaigns
Testing!
Adopt a testing philosophy
A/B Split Testing
A • Open rate 24%
B • Open rate 31%
Entire ContactList
10%
10%
15% off
Free shipping
What can you test?
Source: "The Practical Guide to E-mail Marketing" by Jordan Ayan
Opens
Conversions
Click-Throughs
• From Name• Best day to send
• Creative/Layout• Subject line• Copy
• Subject line• Best time to send
• From Name• Calls to Action
• Landing pages• Calls to action• Creative/Layout
• Subject line• Copy• From Name
Source: Marketing Experiments
• From Name• Best day to send
• Creative/Layout• Subject line• Copy
• Subject line• Best time to send
• From Name• Calls to Action
• Subject line• Copy• From Name
Subject line testing
Subject Line #2 explains the benefit of the new order option.
Subject Line Open Rate
The Organic Dish: A New Way to Order (control) 35.2%
The Organic Dish: Now only 2-meal order minimum 44.1%
Relative Difference 25.3% Increase
Percentage of Agency and ESP clients who take advantage of A/B Split Testing
Source: MarketingSherpa Email Marketing Benchmark Guide 2008
B-to-B Marketers Evaluate ROI of testing
Source: MarketingSherpa Email Marketing Benchmark Guide 2007
Track campaign metrics
Focus on the basic best practices
Test! Test! Test!
Refreshing your email marketing campaigns
Q&A
Sponsored by:
Contact the Speaker
Wendy Lowe
Director, Campaigner Product
Marketing
wlowe@protus.com
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